Technical problems disrupt Ben sailings

A technical problem for one of the Steam Packet Company's vessels resulted in lengthy delays for ferry passengers at the weekend.

Passengers boarded the Ben-my-Chree yesterday morning before being told there was a fault, resulting in a delay of more than three hours.

The problems recurred during the crossing, meaning the Ben didn't reach Heysham until around 6pm - over six hours later than scheduled.

The issues meant the Manannan had to operate the overnight crossing, while this morning's sailing to Heysham is delayed by an hour to allow the crew to reach the mandatory hours of rest.